Wedding Inspiration and Style by Designer Liz Fields

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Monthly Archives: March 2013

If there is one day out of your life that could use the most advice, it would have to be the day you get married. Weddings are a beautiful elaborate occasion that may feel fanciful, but at the same time its reality at its best. Budget is on top of the list as always, but your wedding isn’t only about budgeting $40 dinner plates for you guest. Planning will help you capture all the incredible moments that happen at weddings. From tears to smiles, to “oops!” and “oh my’s!” a wedding is a lasting memory, and with the right people and planning it can be something to share with many friends and family for years to come.

The Right Pictures

All weddings should have a professional photographer. If you plan on having your niece who is in college grab her CoolPix and call it a day for your wedding, you will regret not having the artful compositions and mastery of lighting and exposure from a professional that will truly illustrate the mood and meaning of your wedding. There are certain shots that make up a great wedding album and are classic settings that you may of seen looking at friend’s or family albums. Top shots at weddings are: The girls getting ready, the bride getting in to her wedding dress, groomsmen, the cake, the bouquet, children,the wedding party in their bridesmaid dresses, the rings and of course the dances. Candid shots are always easily enjoyable they offer the beautiful realistic energy that can come from getting married or being at a wedding. Life is made up of memories and moments. Capture them with the help of the right person with the right equipment.

The Right Food

When people think of weddings, they think of dancing, food and drinks. Such a grand occasion is incomplete without them, so having the best meal that fits your budget is important to make it a memorable meal for you and and your guest its best to allow up to 40% of your wedding’s budget towards foods and drinks. You don’t want to serve cold sandwiches and potato salad on the most important and beautiful day of you life. A good place to start is where your wedding will be held. For example, settings near beaches are a common place to host a wedding. With its gorgeous landscape and infinite sky, the beach is a popular location. So it would make sense to consider creative plates with light tasteful fish entrees with tropical decorations that could include flora or tropical leaves. The protein option could be beef or pork cooked by open fire, such inspiration could be found from a Hawaiian luau.

The Music

Music has the ability to tap in to one’s subconscious and grab emotion where words could fail to do so. Having the perfect playlist is a must for you wedding. Music is the ultimate instrument when it comes to setting the mood. You can break it down to three catargories: The main dances, reception, and love songs.

The main dances are of course the first dance between the bride and groom, the mother and son, and the daughter and father. Sitting down with you dance partner and really considering what song will truly illustrate your connection will make your guests tear up in joy to see and feel the love between family, new and old. The song’s at the reception should be fun with a couple of love songs so that everyone has a chance to embrace their dates, loved ones, or wives and husbands. The electric slide has been done so many times at weddings. Be original. Think of songs relevant to your style and life. Love songs tend to be easier to choose. Motown and classic love songs from years past usually offer beautiful lyrics and lovely melodies that make it easy for anyone to fall in love all over again. One favorite is “Rock with You” by Michael Jackson, because its playful and sweet and usually everyone knows and loves that song.

Weddings require a lot of planning, but thinking in threes at first can help you not get all tangled up with the infinite options out there. Keep calm, and plan on!

When it comes to choosing the right wedding dress, there are a lot of things to take into consideration; so many, that you might become easily overwhelmed. This doesn’t have to be the case. Use these simple tips to help you find the best wedding dress for your body type so that you feel and look amazing on your wedding day.

Use the Location as a Guideline

The location of your wedding definitely has an impact of the type of dresses that you look for. You can narrow down your selection by taking into consideration the venue of your wedding. For instance, if you are having a beach wedding you will want to avoid a formal ball gown type dress and if your wedding is in an elegant banquet hall you don’t want to try on dresses that are made from slip like material or that are extremely short. Getting a good feel for the wedding venue before you start the hunt for the perfect dress will help you on your journey to finding your wedding dress.

Time is Of the Essence

The best way to avoid stress when it comes to picking out your wedding dress is to do the best job that you can to manage your time. You may think that putting off dress shopping isn’t that big of a deal but when you really think it through you’ll see why it’s a bad idea. For starters, you won’t have time to consider your options if you wait too long to start buying a dress. You also won’t be able to compare as many options. The worst part about procrastinating when it comes to picking out your wedding dress is that you’ll most likely end up feeling rushed which may cause you to make a split decision that you don’t feel 100% comfortable about. If you start looking for dresses early on, you will give yourself time to weigh the options in your head which will in turn help you make a clear and concise decision.

Bring Your Bridesmaids

You can often kill two birds with one stone if you include your bridesmaids while you are picking out your wedding dress. The bridesmaid dresses may end up coming from the same vendor, so you never know when it may be advantageous to have them along when you’re choosing a wedding dress. Bringing your bridesmaids is also helpful in order for you to make a decision on your wedding dress based on objective opinions. If you are able to hear the advice of others, you will be able to make better judgment calls when it comes to what looks best. Also, don’t forget to base your decision on comfort, not size. Just because a dress is a size 2 doesn’t mean you need to cram yourself into it. The most important thing to remember on your wedding day is that you should feel confident and comfortable in whatever you are wearing.

One of the most important aspects of your wedding is where it’s going to be held. Your venue ultimately sets the tone of your wedding so it’s important that you make the right choice when it comes to finding a venue that’s perfect for celebrating the love you have found with your significant other. Securing the right wedding venue makes it easy for the rest of the details to fall into place. For instance, once you’ve secured your location it should be easy to find inspiration regarding your wedding theme, colors, decor and bridesmaid dresses.

Plan for Space

This may sound like a no-brainer, but make sure that you plan for enough space for your guests. Take into account the entertainment, food setup, dance floor and tables in order to leave enough room for your total number of guests to move about comfortably. If you have your heart set on a particular venue that isn’t as large as you would like it to be, make the best use of the space as you possibly can. As long as your guests aren’t crammed into the corners of the venue, you should be able to create enough space to ensure that everyone has enough elbow room.

Privacy

Most couples value privacy a lot when it comes to hosting their wedding. If you are having your wedding in a public space, take precautions ahead of time to double check that you’ve carved out enough of an area to ensure that you have adequate privacy. In order to avoid onlookers and possible annoyances, secure a private venue that will be closed to the public for the time that is set aside for your wedding. Getting married is an intimate affair that should be respected and valued but unfortunately strangers may not see if that way. Avoid ruining any special moment by taking to time to review the privacy aspects of the location that you have selected.

Lighting, Acoustics and Outlets

If you are planning on having entertainment it’s important to make sure that your venue has good acoustics and enough outlets. This applies to if you are having a DJ as well. There needs to be enough electrical equipment to host whatever sound either the band of the DJ needs. The lighting is another important aspect of the venue. Oftentimes, the lighting can be utilized to set the mood of the event and can highlight certain areas of the venue such as the dance floor and bridal party.

Parking

Finally, if you are not providing transportation for your guests, make sure that the venue has plenty of parking. The last thing you want is for your guests to have to worry about where to park.

If you are just getting started with your wedding invitations, do not fret. These simple tips will help you stay organized and deliver the best possible wedding invitations to your guests.

Pick Your Colors

You can narrow down a lot of factors from a design perspective if you pick your colors early on. If you are unsure which colors match the “theme” of your wedding, examine the colors of the bridesmaid dresses and décor. Base your wedding invitation off of these colors and you’ll be able to narrow down design choices as well as font colors, size and any extra adornments that you are considering. More importantly, make sure to keep readability in mind when you are choosing fonts and colors. You want your guests to not only be able to read your wedding invitations, but the rest of the materials as well. Some weddings opt for placeholders and programs to be distributed, and these usually are designed to match the theme of the wedding.

Don’t Take Up Too Much Space

While it’s true that you are excited and probably have a lot to say, choose your words wisely. Crowding your invitation with too many words will ruin your invites from a design perspective. You should leave enough space for all of your text and patterns to “breathe” and not cram between the margins. This will lend itself to the overall aesthetic and readability of the card. If you DO find yourself having a lot to say, don’t be afraid to increase the size of the invitation in order to accommodate your word choice. Traditional wedding invitation sizes have changed and there are many modern approaches that embrace bigger sizes and less conventional colors.

Proofread

Nothing is worse than ruining the excitement of the invitation delivery day but noticing that there is a misspelling on your entire order. Make sure that you double and triple check the proofs before you “okay” them to go to print. Spending a little extra time to dot your I’s and cross your t’s will save you time and money in the long run. Many people won’t have the time to re-order their misprinted invitations and you don’t want to be stuck sending out invites that are inaccurate.

Address the Envelopes Early

If you can afford to hire a calligrapher to address your envelopes, by all means do so. As soon as you order your invitations, see if you can take the envelopes home with you to get a head start on filling all of them out. Traditionally, addresses are handwritten but unless you have impeccable handwriting its best to leave the addressing to a professional calligrapher with experience addressing wedding invitations.

Finding the perfect bridesmaid dress is sometimes a tall order. On top of all the things to keep track of when it comes to planning your wedding, the bridesmaid dress can be tough because you want to not only please your bridal party, but pick something current and beautiful. If you are having trouble finding the perfect bridesmaid dress, use these simple tips to help make the experience what it should be; fun and exciting.

Take Your Time

When it comes to finished the perfect bridesmaid dress, the earlier you start the better. In order to fulfill your needs and please the bridal party, take as many trips to the dress shop as possible. You never know what you’re going to find, and the earlier you start the more time you will have to make the decision. When it comes to finding a custom bridesmaid dress, you want to give yourself as much time as possible to “mull things over”. The earlier you start looking, the more time you have think it through and make a decision. Last minute shopping sprees of any time increase stress and often lead to irrational decisions that can be avoided by freeing up a little extra time in the beginning of your wedding planning process.

Put Your Bridesmaids to Work

If you want to get fun and creative with your bridesmaids, inspire a little friendly competition by asking them each to find you the best custom bridesmaid dress. The reward will be that the one you like the most is the one that gets chosen. Depending on how many bridesmaids you have, you may end up more than pleasantly surprised. Your bridal party will be more than willing to go above and beyond, and will be motivated by the fact that if they win, they get to wear the dress that they picked out. Make sure you discuss with them sizes, colors and styles before you send them on their hunt. This will prevent anyone from wasting their time or picking out something that is blatantly wrong for the ceremony. The worst case scenario is that you don’t pick any of the dresses, but even if this happens you still got a lot of inspired ideas to work from.

Have Fun

The most important thing to remember (yes you may actually have to remind yourself) is to have fun. Without having fun, you lose sight of the entire purpose and forget why you are shopping for bridesmaid dresses in the first place. If at first you don’t succeed, pour a glass of wine and try again. Finding the perfect bridesmaid dress should be a fun and memorable experience that you and your girlfriends look back on fondly for the rest of your lives.

If you have recently gotten engaged, your head is probably swarming with exciting ideas as to how to plan your wedding. Many people, regardless of the economy, are opting to have smaller, more intimate weddings. Here are some tips to help you host a romantically perfect wedding.

Guest List

Remember the great aunt you haven’t seen since you were a baby? Nope, we didn’t think so. It’s time to take her off your list of wedding attendees. If you were expecting to see all of your long lost relatives at your wedding, a small, intimate affair may not be the best choice for you. The point of having an intimate celebration is so that you are only surrounded with the people who truly love and cherish your newfound union. The relatives you haven’t connected with in ages and the co-workers you really don’t care for can all be chopped off of your guest list. The people you invite to your wedding will be the people who help you create life long memories. If you have any reservations about inviting a certain person or group of friends, it’s better to be safe than sorry. You won’t regret shortening your guest list in order to ensure that only the most important people in your life are there to share the amazing experience with you and your loved one.

Décor

The décor of your wedding will set the ambiance and tell people how they should feel. If you want your guests to pick up on the romantic and intimate vibe you’re going for, deck your wedding space with candles and small details. Handwritten placeholders, layered bows and embroidery are the type of delicate details that will tie your theme together and make your guests feel at home.

Attire

If you are going for a romantic feel, choose custom bridesmaid dresses that flow well and aren’t overdone. Shop for bridesmaid dresses that are cute and whimsical, with layers and soft colors. Don’t be afraid to ask your bridesmaids for their input, as well as their help when it comes to picking out romantic colors and shapes for your wedding dress. Try on more than one option, and make sure that you get it fitted properly so that you don’t have to stress about it on your wedding day.

Locations

Chose a location that is intimate and inviting. This could be anything from a small garden, to the house you grew up in as a child. If you want to make your wedding really special, rally the best chefs in your family to prepare a home cooked meal instead of having your rehearsal dinner at a restaurant. This isn’t just a great way to bring people together; it’s a way of saving money, too.

Tying the knot doesn’t have to be a nerve wracking experience. Your wedding day is something that you will remember for the rest of your life so it’s important that you make the most out of your big day and do everything you can to enjoy it. Making the day fun and memorable is the best way to create the most meaningful and lasting memories for you and your significant other to look back on and cherish.

Focus on the Details

You’ve heard the saying “the love is in details”, and it’s very true. People aren’t as concerned with fancy glitz and glamour as they are with the personal. You can make your wedding more personal by adding small details that carry a lot of meaning and significance. A great wedding can include 100 people or 10 people. It can take place in a grand reception hall, or in your back yard. It can be catered by the finest chefs in town, or be graced with your mom’s cooking. Either way, your guests are not at your wedding to celebrate the material. They have come to your wedding to celebrate the love between you and your significant other. Don’t try to be fancy just for the sake of being fancy. People want what’s authentic, and the more true you are to yourself the better time you and your guests will have on your wedding day.

Respect Your Guests

People are most likely going to be traveling and taking time out of their day in order to attend your wedding. Respect their time and their money by keeping on a tight schedule and not making them book a fancy hotel room that they can’t afford. Make sure that you keep not only within your budget, but in your guest’s budget as well. This goes for the bridesmaid dresses, too. Chose a bridesmaid dress that is beautiful and affordable. There are a number of lovely custom bridesmaid dresses that can easily fit into your friends’ budgets while still being of the highest quality.

Keep Your Guests Engaged

In order to make the most out of your wedding, engage your guests and make sure they have a clear picture of what is going on. Avoid confusion by establishing a clear “flow” to your wedding and organizing everything well. The less your guests have to “do” to get from one point to another, the more fun everything will be overall. One way to do this is to provide transportation from the wedding to the reception. Providing transportation will ensure that everyone is safe and that you don’t have to worry about how many drinks your guests are enjoying-assuming everyone will drink within their limit. If you are in need of a beautiful custom bridesmaid or wedding dress, please feel free to view our selection.

If you and your loved one have decided to celebrate your union by getting married, you want to do everything in your power to make the day a memorable and momentous occasion. Keeping your guests happy is a must, and appeasing difficult guests is not what you want to spend your entire day doing. In order to appease demanding guests and not lose your head at the same time, here are a few tips you can use to help make your day go as smooth as possible.

Ease the Family Dynamic

Everyone has a different family dynamic that they have to deal with during the planning of their wedding. Knowing how your family works is the best way of making sure you cater to everyones needs. Although you may feel like your wedding day is just that, YOURS, it’s important to understand that by acknowledging the needs and wants of family members, you’ll be decreasing the chances of an altercation and thereby making the experience stress free on you.

Drawing the Line

If you feel yourself caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to appeasing certain guests, it may be time to put your foot down. There are many situations when a request from you guest is totally valid, but if they are becoming too needy, don’t be afraid to draw the line. If the guest in question is friendly with any other mutual friends or family members, you can leverage that in order to point out that they are being unreasonable and perhaps get a little help.

Overcoming Obstacles

The two biggest speed bumps you will encounter will most likely be the menu and the bridesmaid dresses when it comes to appeasing your guests. Make sure that while keeping in mind food allergies, you stick with a menu that first and foremost pleases you and your other half. Outside of being allergic to something, most guests will be happy to eat whatever you decide upon. As far as the bridesmaid dress is concerned, make sure that you take into consideration the wants of your bridal party but not let them hold a dictatorship when it comes to the final decision.

When push comes to shove, the most important thing you can do to make sure that all goes well is to meticulously plan your big day. It may seem like a daunting task, but there is no reason why planning your wedding won’t be a fun and enjoyable experience. Reach out to your friends and family for help and never be afraid to turn to the one you love. You and your partner are in it for the long haul, and planning your wedding together is just one of the many blissful experiences that you will embark upon together.

A lot of people chose not to get married in the winter due to weather conditions. However, a winter wedding can be beautiful and magical if executed properly. You have plenty of opportunity to take advantage of soft winter colors and décor. A winter wedding gives you the opportunity to take advantage of the beautiful color palette that the season offers. White dresses and diamonds were practically made to shown off the in winter. It’s truly a perfect match.

Destination

Private clubs, lodges, an inn with a fireplace, or a mansion that boasts a wooden interior are all great ideas for a place to host your winter wedding. Whether you want a large venue, or something cozy, try to stick with a rustic feel. Candles and fire elements can be used throughout the space, and try to avoid spaces that have large windows. Winter weather is not always ideal for viewing unless you are guaranteed that it will snow on that day. In that case, a large window might be a great idea.

Flowers

Red and green flowers can complement the season well, but if you want to go for a classic look try sticking with white and silver elements. Speak with a florist in order to determine which flowers are seasonal for your area and what colors are available.

Favors

Winter weddings offer a great opportunity to get creative when it comes to wedding favors. Hot cocoa, customized snow globes and Christmas tree ornaments all make for cute wedding favors. You can also make a cookie with the recipe attached and hand them out as favors.

Décor

Candles, poinsettias and small white lights can all add a winter feel to your event. If you stumble upon any after Christmas sales, you can stock up on small white lights which can be used decoratively throughout the space in order to create a subtle, wintery ambiance.

Attire

The attire for a winter wedding doesn’t have to stray from a typical wedding day dress and tuxedo; however you may want to take extra time to find an elegant shawl, jacket or wrap. You and your groom will probably want to take pictures outdoors, so make sure you both have an elegant way of keeping warm. Don’t forget about your bridesmaids-they will want to keep warm as well, and chances are you’ll want to photograph them outdoors as well. You can even find custom bridesmaid dresses to ensure that your wedding party stays warm.

Finding the perfect wedding attire does not have to be a stressful chore. Liz Fields has retailers all over the country and we are confident that you will find what you are looking for. Please feel free to visit our website to look through our designs and start getting ideas for your big day.

When tackling the task of planning your own wedding, there are a number of factors to keep in mind in order for you to be able to pull off your dream wedding. Oftentimes, couples both work a full time job and the task of planning a wedding may seem like a daunting one. In this situation you may want to consider the benefits of hiring a wedding planner. Having no event planning experience can make planning your own wedding seem like an overwhelming experience. Hiring a professional wedding planner who comes with great recommendations will help take the stress of the situation off of your shoulders. A good wedding planner will still allow you to make the majority of the decisions. Their value lies in the fact that they are responsible for executing those decisions. If you are pressed for time, a wedding planner may be a valuable asset.

A wedding planner will also ensure that you stay within your budget and should be an expert at making the most out of your money. Wedding planners also come in handy when it comes to planning a wedding in a foreign city or country. Finding vendors and event space in a new area may not be something that you know how to do. Wedding planners also help ease stress on the wedding day by guiding the wedding party, making arrangements and ultimately allowing the bride to relax and enjoy the experience while the planner takes care of all the work.

Select your entertainment carefully as the performer you chose will most likely have a lasting impression on your guests. Choosing a performer who embodies the type of music you and your loved one enjoy will also make the experience a lasting one for you and your family as well. Make sure the entertainer you chose has good recommendations and that you have already sampled their work, whether by a live performance or audio recordings/videos. Also, make sure that they are reliable. Booking a band and having them not show up for your big day would be a huge disappointment and cause a lot of undo stress.

Whether the bride decides to apply their own makeup or not, it’s important that she practice first. Too much makeup can make you appear overdone in photos, so it’s important to do a “test face” to find the perfect medium. Bridesmaids are a great tool to utilize for organizing this “test run”. If you are hiring a makeup artist, make sure you communicate with them about what you want.

The most important thing is that you feel comfortable. Being comfortable in your own skin is probably the best thing you can do to ensure that you have a great wedding day. Choose bridesmaid dresses that are comfortable and stylish and make sure your bridesmaids are content and apply the same principle when it comes to your wedding dress. Take time to sit back and take everything in, and don’t get overwhelmed by the details. Your wedding day is an important experience that you will remember for the rest of your life.